Ydr Priest Abuse Stories Hurt the Church (column)

By Anne Rohrbaugh
York Daily Record
September 8, 2016

http://www.ydr.com/story/opinion/columnists/2016/09/08/ydr-priest-abuse-stories-hurt-church-column/89994598/

Being forewarned by one of the Catholic priests in York regarding the York Sunday News’ printing the articles concerning the “shadowed history” of the handling of the abuse by Catholic priests in the Harrisburg diocese, I read that article and the articles that followed it.

I am a Catholic woman and a survivor of sexual abuse as child – not by a priest but by more than one adult man in my family. I agree that this “sin” is one that leaves a person in much pain – emotionally, physically and spiritually. I also agree that it needs to be addressed and punished.

I wonder, though, what is the motivation of the York Daily Record in publishing these articles and giving so much space to them in your newspapers? I see the motivation as two-fold: The first and most important, in my estimation, is for you to sell newspapers. The second is for you to embarrass and try to bring down the Catholic Church.

In the 16th chapter of Matthew, I have read how Jesus formed the church. Here is the quote from the New American version of the Holy Bible:

"Now, when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he was asking his disciples, 'Who do people say that the Son of Man is?' And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.' He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the son of the living God.' And Jesus said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on this earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.' Then, he warned the disciples that they should tell no one that he was the Christ."

Jesus didn’t choose Peter because he was a perfect human who had no faults. He chose him because he had faith and he predicted that the gates of hell (Hades) would not prevail against his church no matter how many people or institutions or newspapers tried to bring it down.

I challenge you to print as many articles and use up as much space in your newspapers for all the good that the Catholic Church has done. Did you know that Charity Hospital run by the Sister of Charity in New Orleans, along with the Upjohn Company, developed the plasma system in the 1930s that saved so many lives in WWII, Korea, Vietnam and in the Middle East now?

Did you know that during the Civil War most of the nurses were nuns? Did you know when the Catholic Church was founded there were no hospitals, but today one out of five people in this country receives their medical care at a Catholic hospital?

Are you aware that the Catholic Church teaches 3 million students a day, in its more than 250 Catholic colleges and university as well as its more than 1,200 high schools and 5,000 grade schools?

Every day, the Catholic Church feeds, clothes, shelters and educates more people than any other organization in the world. How many other organizations have lasted for over 2,000 years in spite of the sinfulness of those who have been in charge and done so much good? I read in Romans: 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Yes, there have been many abuses and misuses of power over the 2,000 years of history of the church and of the world, and it is God who will judge – not me or you.

I read, with some interest, an article in the York Daily Record (tucked away on page 7, not the front page), titled “Decades of abuse documented at St. George’s boarding school.” I didn’t find out that St. George’s School is an Episcopal school until halfway through the article. Abuse of children, women and men is not exclusive to Catholicism or just to people of faith. It exists everywhere, in every walk of life, in every city, town, state or country. Pope Francis has said that “we should be building bridges not walls.” Since I heard that quote, the words of the chorus of the song by the Judds, “Love Can Build a Bridge,” has been resonating in my heart and soul:

"Love can build a bridge – between your heart and mine.

Love can build a bridge – don’t you think it’s time? Don’t you think it’s time?"

Don’t you think it is time, dear editor, for us all to build bridges and to tear down the walls of hatred and sensationalism that only serve to widen the chasm of mistrust and isolation in our world? I would just as soon read some good news for a change, and I imagine that I am not alone in that wish.